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The Black Dot Campaign: A black dot on a domestic violence victim’s hand palms can send out a secret signal for help and tackle the abuse.

If You Ever Notice a Black Dot on Someone’s Palm, Call the Police

Analysis:

In early September 2015, a social media campaign called ‘The Black Dot Campaign’ has been launched on Facebook to offer support for victims of domestic violence. According to it, a person suffering from domestic abuse can draw a simple black dot on his/her palm of their hands and show it as a sign to alert others of their situation. It is a known fact that domestic violence has been a serious issue in many parts of the world, and the victims are most often scared to talk about it. The out of box idea suggested by the Black Dot Campaign is described as a simple way for victims of domestic abuse to ask for help – without even having to say a word. Yes, it is a fact that such a campaign was initiated as a part of social media support, but because of some important concerns raised by critics, it was taken down later.

The Black Dot Campaign for Domestic Violence Victims

About The Black Dot Campaign

The Black Dot Campaign came up with the simple idea to extend support to victims of domestic violence. The organizers said the kind of silent communication of the victim’s situation to agencies, relatives, friends or someone they can trust will open a door to personal or professional help and help them escape the abuse. Soon after the campaign was started, many women posted their pictures of telltale black dot on the Facebook page, the organizers of which later posted a message saying their campaign reached over 6,000 people worldwide in just 24 hours, and has already helped 6 women. Jenn Hunton was one such woman who posted her black dot on palm picture on her Facebook timeline along with the story of the campaign; it garnered thousands of shares. The organizers said the original idea of the Black Dot Campaign was inspired by a survivor of domestic abuse.

Picture of The Black Dot Campaign Facebook Page

Black Dot Campaign Pulled Off

Although the campaign garnered much attention online and in media outlets, it was deemed unsafe by domestic violence campaigners and was pulled off for some fears and concerns. First, there’s the possibility that black dot can be seen by the abuser instead of someone in a position to offer help, and critics claim that can cause more harm than good. Second, the idea of black dot on palm is not recognized by law enforcement or health officials, and professional support charities and organizations may not be aware of the black dot campaign, so they will not have received training on what to do when they come across such a case.

The organizers of the Black Dot Campaign addressed the aforementioned concerns, and their Facebook page and Twitter feed were later taken down. In one statement they said this is not the solution that will help everyone, but the social media campaign spread awareness about what domestic abuse is, how it affects people and how to access help. And we like to believe, the campaign gave strength to the victims of domestic violence and the idea of how to ask for help.